Safety sensing system for a powered door system

Abstract

A safety sensing system includes an apparatus for use in a doorway having a powered door slidable for closure of the doorway. The apparatus includes radiation transmitters and/or receivers for providing a curtain of detection beams across the doorway, and is formed as a composite structure that includes: a fixative member connectable by securing means to a side of the doorway at a door frame, the fixative member including a first portion of a mating connection means; and, a housing containing a plurality of the transmitters and/or receivers along its length, and including a second portion of the mating connection means for attaching the sealed housing to the fixative member. The mating connection means allows the housing to be removed and replaced while the fixative member remains in situ.

1. A safety sensing apparatus for use in a doorway having a powered door slidable for closure of the doorway, the apparatus comprising:
 a housing adapted to house at least one of a plurality of radiation transmitters for transmitting radiation across the doorway and a plurality of radiation receivers for receiving radiation transmitted across the doorway; 
 an elongated fixing portion for releasably fixing the housing to one of the powered door and a frame of the doorway, the elongated fixing portion includes a first portion of a mating connection extending along a length thereof and is adapted to be mounted to one of the powered door and the frame; and 
 a second portion of the mating connection included in the housing that is adapted to releasably engage the first portion of the mating connection such that when the elongated fixing portion is fixed to one of the powered door and the door frame the housing can be detached from the elongated fixing portion and replaced while maintaining the fixing portion in a fixed position and maintaining a connection between the fixing portion and the at least one of the powered door and the door frame. 
 
   
   
     2. The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the housing is an elongated, sealed housing in which the transmitter or receiver elements are spaced apart along the length of the housing and oriented to transmit or receive radiation respectively through a radiation-transparent side of the housing. 
   
   
     3. The apparatus of  claim 2 , wherein the housing includes opaque sides that restrict passage of radiation there through. 
   
   
     4. The apparatus of  claim 3 , wherein the radiation-transparent side of the housing is integrally-formed with the opaque sides. 
   
   
     5. The apparatus of  claim 4 , wherein the radiation-transparent side is formed as a co-extrusion with the opaque sides of the housing. 
   
   
     6. The apparatus of  claim 5 , wherein the housing is formed as a plastic co-extrusion. 
   
   
     7. The apparatus of  claim 2 , wherein the radiation-transparent side of the housing is shaped so as to focus radiation passing therethrough. 
   
   
     8. The apparatus of  claim 7 , wherein the radiation-transparent side of the housing includes a planar inner surface and a convex outer surface. 
   
   
     9. The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the housing includes a generally rectangular, tubular cross-section. 
   
   
     10. The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein one of the first portion and the second portion includes a key and the other of the first portion and the second portion includes a mating keyway, the first portion and the second portion being connectable by sliding the key into the keyway. 
   
   
     11. The apparatus of  claim 10 , wherein the second portion is formed integrally with the housing. 
   
   
     12. The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the fixing portion is configured to attach the housing at least approximate to a surface of one of the door and door frame such that the transmitters or receivers respectfully transmit and receive radiation parallel to the surface. 
   
   
     13. The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the fixing portion is configured to attach the housing at least approximate to a surface of one of the door and door frame such that the transmitters or receivers respectfully transmit and receive radiation normal to the surface. 
   
   
     14. The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the fixing portion encloses the housing to engage and retain the housing. 
   
   
     15. The apparatus of  claim 14 , wherein an internal shape of the fixing portion is similar to a shape of the outside of the housing. 
   
   
     16. The apparatus of  claim 14 , wherein the fixing portion is adapted to be secured to the door or door frame by a resilient clip for gripping an edge of the door or door frame. 
   
   
     17. The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the powered door is an elevator door. 
   
   
     18. The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the first and the second portions of the mating connection are adapted to be slidably coupled together. 
   
   
     19. The apparatus of  claim 18 , wherein the first and the second portions of the mating connection are adapted to be slidably coupled together along a plane that is substantially parallel to a planar surface of the door. 
   
   
     20. A safety sensing apparatus for use in a doorway having a powered door slidable for closure of the doorway, the apparatus comprising:
 at least one of a plurality of radiation transmitters and a plurality of radiation receivers arranged for respectively transmitting and receiving radiation across the doorway; 
 an elongate housing adapted to house one of the radiation transmitters and the radiation receivers; and 
 a radiation-transparent side of the housing that permits passage of radiation there through, the radiation-transparent side is shaped to focus radiation passing there through. 
 
   
   
     21. The apparatus of  claim 20 , wherein the plurality of radiation transmitters are orientated to transmit radiation through the radiation-transparent side of the housing; and wherein the plurality of radiation receivers are orientated to receive radiation through the radiation-transparent side of the housing. 
   
   
     22. The apparatus of  claim 20 , wherein sides of the housing adjacent to the radiation-transparent side are opaque to radiation. 
   
   
     23. The apparatus of  claim 20 , wherein the radiation-transparent side of the housing includes a planar inner surface and a convex outer surface. 
   
   
     24. The apparatus of  claim 20 , wherein the radiation transparent side of the housing is integrally-formed with other sides of the housing. 
   
   
     25. The apparatus of  claim 24 , wherein the radiation transparent side is formed as a co-extrusion with the other sides of the housing. 
   
   
     26. The apparatus of  claim 25 , wherein the housing is formed as a plastics co-extrusion. 
   
   
     27. A safety sensing apparatus for use in a doorway having a powered door slidable for closure of the doorway, the apparatus comprising:
 an elongated transmitter housing including:
 a plurality of radiation transmitters mounted therein; 
 a radiation-transparent sidewall that is curved to focus radiation that passes there through; 
 a plurality of opaque sidewalls that restrict passage of radiation there-through; and 
 a first connection device; 
 
 a transmitter housing mount including a second connection device adapted to releasably cooperate with the first connection device to couple the elongated transmitter housing to the transmitter housing mount; and 
 an elongated receiver housing including a plurality of radiation receivers mounted therein, the number of radiation transmitters mounted in the transmitter housing is greater than the number of radiation receivers mounted in the receiver housing.